Tutorial Playlist
132 Lessons1. Introduction to C Tutorial
2. Addition of Two Numbers in C
3. Anagram Program in C
4. Armstrong Number in C
5. Array in C
6. Array of Pointers in C
7. Array of Structure in C
8. C Program to Find ASCII Value of a Character
9. Assignment Operator in C
10. Binary Search in C
11. Binary to Decimal in C
12. Bitwise Operators in C
13. Boolean in C
14. C Compiler for Mac
15. C Compiler for Windows
16. C Function Call Stack
17. C Language Download
18. Operators in C
19. C/C++ Preprocessors
20. C Program for Bubble Sort
21. C Program for Factorial
22. C Program for Prime Numbers
23. C Program for String Palindrome
24. C Program to Reverse a Number
25. Reverse a String in C
26. C string declaration
27. String Input Output Functions in C
28. Calculator Program in C
29. Call by Value and Call by Reference in C
30. Ceil Function in C
31. Coding Vs. Programming
32. Command Line Arguments in C/C++
33. Comments in C
34. Compilation process in C
35. Conditional Statements in C
36. Conditional operator in the C
37. Constant Pointer in C
38. Constants in C
39. Dangling Pointer in C
40. Data Structures in C
41. Data Types in C
42. Debugging C Program
43. Convert Decimal to Binary in C
44. Define And include in C
45. Difference Between Arguments And Parameters
46. Difference Between Compiler and Interpreter
47. Difference Between If Else and Switch
48. Do While Loop In C
49. Double In C
50. Dynamic Array in C
51. Dynamic Memory Allocation in C
52. Enumeration (or enum) in C
53. Evaluation of Arithmetic Expression
54. Factorial of A Number in C
55. Features of C Language
56. Fibonacci Series Program in C Using Recursion
57. File Handling in C
58. For Loop in C
59. Format Specifiers in C
60. Functions in C
61. Function Pointer in C
62. goto statement in C
63. C Hello World Program
64. Header Files in C
65. Heap Sort in C Program
66. Hello World Program in C
67. History of C Language
68. How to compile a C program in Linux
69. How to Find a Leap Year Using C Programming
70. Identifiers in C
71. If Else Statement in C
72. If Statement in C
73. Implementation of Queue Using Linked List
74. Increment and decrement operators in c
75. Input and Output Functions in C
76. How To Install C Language In Mac
77. Jump Statements in C
78. Lcm of Two Numbers in C
79. Length of an Array in C
80. Library Function in C
81. Linked list in C
82. Logical Operators in C
83. Macros in C
84. Matrix multiplication in C
85. Nested if else statement in C
86. Nested Loop in C
87. One Dimensional Array in C
88. Operator Precedence and Associativity in C
89. Overflow And Underflow in C
90. Palindrome Program in C
91. Pattern Programs in C
92. Pointer to Pointer in C
93. Pointers in C: A Comprehensive Tutorial
94. Pre-increment And Post-increment
95. Prime Number Program in C
96. Program for Linear Search in C
97. Pseudo-Code In C
98. Random Access Files in C
99. Random Number Generator in C
100. Recursion in C
101. Relational Operators in C
102. Simple interest program in C
103. Square Root in C
104. Stack in C
105. Stack Using Linked List in C
106. Static function in C
Now Reading
107. Stdio.h in C
108. Storage Classes in C
109. strcat() in C
110. Strcmp in C
111. Strcpy in C
112. String Comparison in C
113. String Functions in C
114. String Length in C
115. String Pointer in C
116. strlen() in C
117. Structures in C
118. Structure of C Program
119. Switch Case in C
120. C Ternary Operator
121. Tokens in C
122. Toupper Function in C
123. Transpose of a Matrix in C
124. Two Dimensional Array in C
125. Type Casting in C
126. Types of Error in C
127. Unary Operator in C
128. Use of C Language
129. User Defined Functions in C
130. What is Variables in C
131. Is C language case sensitive
132. Fibonacci Series in C
Static functions are by far one of the most important concepts of the C programming language. It was initially introduced to control the visibility and scope of functions within a file. It allows programmers to create functions that are limited in scope and can only be accessed through the file where they are defined.
On that note, let’s explore this detailed article highlighting the definition of static function in C; its use cases and a few static function in C examples.
In C programming language, a static function can be defined as one that has its scope limited to the file in which it is declared. This means that you cannot access the same from any other files in the program. However, you can still call a static function multiple times with the same file. In this manner, it enables the reuse of code within a specific module or compilation unit. We use the static keyword to define a static function.
Static functions have internal linkage, meaning that other files cannot reference them during the linking phase of the compilation process. Furthermore, they also have a fixed lifetime during the execution of the program. During the initial stage, when the program starts, the static functions are loaded into memory and remain there until the program has been terminated completely.
Static functions offer various purposes and benefits to the C programming language. Here are a few examples of the same,
When you define a static function, you automatically limit its scope to the file within which it is defined. This, in turn, enables encapsulation as the details of the implementation of the file get hidden from other files. Thus, you no longer have to worry about unintentional access or modification of the function from outside its intended context.
By making certain functions static, you can also control which functions are accessible to the other parts of the program. It enables you to hide the implementation details and provide an interface for other functions within the same file. In this manner, you can prevent any form of unnecessary dependencies and promote code organisation.
When implemented correctly, in some cases, static functions can also offer performance benefits. As mentioned above, static functions support internal linkage, thus enabling the compiler to perform certain optimisation tasks, like eliminating unnecessary function calls and inlining the function. All these ultimately result in improved execution speed.
When you are dealing with large or multiple projects, it is very likely to encounter functions with the same same. By declaring functions as static, you can avoid naming conflicts with functions of the same name in other files. In this manner, every file will have its own static functions with the same name, as they are independent of each other.
These are some of the many use cases of static functions in C. Apart from these, static functions are also used for multiple purposes, such as debugging and testing, code modularity and reuse, among others. The key is to carefully choose exactly which functions can be declared as static.
The syntax for the static function is C includes,
static return_type function_name(parameters);
Here’s a breakdown of the syntax,
Static - It is the keyword used to declare the function as static.
Return type - It denotes the particular data type of the value returned by the function. It can be any valid C data type such as int, float, or even user-defined.
Function Name - It represents the specific name assigned to the function. Please note that while naming a function, you must follow the guidelines in C, such as starting with a letter and consisting of letters, digits and underscores.
Parameters - It denotes the list of parameters (if any) that the function accepts. If a function does not accept any parameter, you can simply keep this section empty.
Always remember, you cannot call a static function from other files except the one in which they are created. For example, you have created a static function named unit() in one file and called it from another file. It will result in an ‘Undefined reference to unit() function’ error.
A few other common mistakes that occur while working with static function in C includes,
Let’s take a look at this small example displaying the use of static function in C.
#include <stdio.h> |
As given, here we have a static function ‘sum’ that takes two integers, namely, ‘num1’ and ‘num2'. The purpose is to accurately calculate the sum of both these integers and return a result.
Inside the main function, we have declared the two integers as ‘a’ and ‘b’ with values 5 and 3, respectively. Following this, we called the ‘sum’ function, passing ‘a’ and ‘b’ as arguments. Ultimately, the return value of the ‘sum’ is stored in the ‘result’ variable.
Printing the value of ‘result' generates the sum of the two numbers, which is,
Sum: 8 |
Hopefully, with this, all your doubts related to what static function in C is and the use of static function in C are cleared. Having a proper understanding of static functions in C brings a lot of benefits to the table. Such include encapsulation, code security and modularity, among others. Furthermore, it also enables you to generate more maintainable and clearer code.
To learn more about the same, do not forget to check out the Full Stack Software Development Bootcamp offered by upGrad. It is the perfect destination for individuals who wish to boost their careers and knowledge in this field. It offers several benefits, including 16+ hours of group coaching and access to 20+ tools and technologies, enabling you to become an industry expert with the right guidance!
1. Are all C functions deemed static?
No, most functions in C are not static and instead are global by default. This means that they can be accessed or called from other files and compilation units in the program. In order to make a function static, we use the static keyword. This limits the scope of the file and cannot be accessed or viewed from other files.
2. Why do we use the static function in C?
There are several reasons that can be attributed to the usage of static functions in C. From enabling performance optimisation to preventing name conflicts and enhancing code security, static function in C serve multiple purposes and offer a plethora of benefits.
3. What do we mean by static variable in C?
A static variable is a variable that retains its value between function calls. Contrary to the general variables that get terminated each time a function is called, a static variable in C is allocated once and persists throughout the entire execution of the program.
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upGrad does not grant credit; credits are granted, accepted or transferred at the sole discretion of the relevant educational institution offering the diploma or degree. We advise you to enquire further regarding the suitability of this program for your academic, professional requirements and job prospects before enr...